Loss is usually understood and perceived as something bad. More often than not, loss is a period of grief, sadness, and darkness that we all go through many times in our lives. Everyone experiences different forms of loss that all hold their own weight. Some losses are detrimental and life changing, while some may not seem like such a big deal compared to what others may be going through.
The bottom line is that each time we lose something or we go through a period of unwanted change, there are many lessons to be learned.
One thing I have learned through my personal losses and times of change is that these experiences can immobilize you, or they can move you in the direction you are supposed to be going. It is important to understand that loss should be felt in every ounce of your body. Let it happen. Allow yourself to feel all the feels, and recognize that it. will. end.
Then, it’s up to you to turn that hurt into something you can use – fuel. You can let the sadness and pain bury you, or you can turn it around and use it to your advantage. The 5 Stages of Grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance – are no joke. And loss is not an easy, fast, or comfortable process to go through.
Sounds a lot like the gym, huh? Just like your mind during and after a loss, your physical body is not going to change overnight. It takes time and effort to see change. It is going to take months of pain and patience to see results. Those months then become days and eventually turn into moments that you look back on and realize were there for a reason. Every ounce of pain and difficulty life throws at you is an opportunity to move forward. Once we accept that loss and recognize its presence, we then can use it as a gift. When you rise from the mess life has left you in, you can finally see that your life is the most precious gift of all.
Take control of your life and use your burdens to your advantage. Pain and loss are both very real emotions you will go through many times. It’s up to you how you respond to it. These can be seeds that are planted in you to help you bloom. To perform in the gym you need fuel to get through your workouts. Why not use your loss and pain as that fuel? Will you let it bury you, or will you let it help you bloom? Fuel is burned off and so will your pain.
Use it.
Burn it.
Let it push you through your moments of doubt.
Loss and pain are temporary. No bad day lasts forever and neither will the hurt you go through. When we choose to see loss as only pain, you’re choosing to let it bury you. When we understand loss as gift, you’re choosing to grow from the lessons it is teaching you. Breathe in your hurt, let it consume you and then use it to help you grow. We cannot strive forward if we are only looking back. We grow through what we go through.
Fall. Get up. Repeat.
Author: GRIT BOX Founder and Owner, Cody Cooper
The brains and the brawn behind it all. Cody’s dream of launching the most energized, hyped, and badass kickboxing studio in the Lowcountry came to life in 2015.
If you were to dive into Cody’s head, you’d encounter a web of ideas and visions for the next facet of GRIT BOX. An entrepreneur at heart, Cody is the owner of three additional Charleston businesses: Saltwater Cycle, Chucktown Brew Tours, and Cooper’s Cove. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Charleston Hope and believes in giving back to the Charleston Community.